Wrapping machine



E. L. SMITH ET AL I WRAPPING MACHINE 0m 3 9 .1 4r 1 .b

6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 17, 1937 Feb. 14, 1939. E. L. SMITH ET AL 2,146,997

WRAPPING MACHINE Filed Aug. 17, 1937 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 v .INVENTORJ 22 l 171mm Z. J/wm mm BY CA #1700 h-raa z ,y v- M TTORNEYS Feb. 14, 1939.

E. L. SMITH ET AL 2,146,997

WRAPPING MACHINE Fil ed Aug. 17, 1937 6 Sheets-Sheet e INVENTORJ EM? Z. J/w/w 41m 6 BY 64/?17'00' Mmsa Patented Feb. 14, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WRAPPING MACHINE Application August 1'7,

4 Claims.

The present invention relates to wrapping machinery. It has particular reference to machines of this type where simplicity of construction and adaptability of adjustment to different sizes of articles are of importance.

One common form of wrapping mechanism forwards the article and. a sheet of wrapping material first between folders which drape the material around three sides of the article, and then into alignment with a wrapping channel extending at right angles to the first-named path of motion of the article. Typically the movement of the article into alignment with the channel is accomplished by a reciprocating l5 plunger or elevator, while motion along the channel is caused either by a second reciprocating plunger or by a series of pusher elements. As the article comes into alignment with the channel the rear downwardly extending flap is 20 folded under the article by a plate folder, the forward flap being folded by the passage of the article onto the floor of the channel. Therear side tucks are in general folded by reciprocating plate folders and the remaining tucks by folders arranged along the channel.

In connection with machines of this type "it has hitherto been proposed to use two elevators, spaced apart in the direction of length of the channel, for delivering the article and wrapper into alignment with the channel; this arrangement having the advantage that it permits one elevator to descend, making room for the bottom folder, without completely releasing the article. In such machines the rear bottom folder has passed all the way over both of the successively lowered elevators to a terminal position against theend of the channel floor. If the machine has been intended for use on packages of differing sizes it has been necessary to vary the timing 'of this rear bottom folder as the size of the package was changed in order to insure proper support for the article as the elevators descended. Such an adjustment of timing is complex, expensive, and difficult for an unskilled operative to adjust accurately.

In accordance with the present invention the timing and stroke of the rear bottom folder are left unchanged; and all adjustments for different sizes of articles are accomplished by varying the sizes of the parts, preferably by replacement. Instead of making the side of the elevator well adjacent the folding channel the fixed point from which other parts ,are varied, the side of the elevator well adjacent the rear bottom folder is maintained constant. The tim- 1937, Serial No. 159,508

ing and length of stroke of the rear bottom folder are likewise invariable irrespective of the size of the article being wrapped. The manner in which the construction and adjustment of the machine is simplified by the improvement can 5 best be understood after a consideration of one form of mechanism chosen for illustration.

Referring to the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a wrapping machine embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal section of a portion of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse section of a portion of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1, taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a detail, in top plan, of the article pusher, the side tuckers, and the rear bottom folder, showing their mounting;

Figs. 5 to 9 are diagrammatic views showing the operation of the machine when adjusted for a relatively narrow package;

- Fig. 10 is a view similar to Fig. 8 showing the machine adjusted for a wider package;

Fig. 11 is a detail plan showing one manner of adjusting the machine for different package widths; and

Fig. 12 is a detail plan showing the bottom folder intermeshed with the second elevator.

The machine is supported on a frame 20. Articles to be wrapped are carried into the machine upon a feed plate 2| provided with laterally adjustable side guides 22. A continuously moving chain 23 carries pushers 24 pivoted to it at 25 and having tail portions 26 resting upon the chain when the latter is straight. This construction gives rigidity to the pushers in passing over the feed plate to carry the articles along, but permit the pushers to travel around the sprockets upon which the chain is mounted. One of these sprockets 21, which serves as the drive, is mounted on a shaft 28 driven by a belt 29 from a pulley 30 mounted on a self-contained motor unit 3|. A belt tightener 32 serves to cause operation of the shaft 28 when desired and takes the place of a clutch. The shaft 28 acts 45 as the drive shaft for the entire machine.-

In bearings 35 and 36 vertically spaced on the machine frame rods 31 and 38, preferably square to avoid turning, are mounted forvertical reciprocation. Rod 31 carries an elevator plate 50 39 and rod 36 an elevator plate 40. As shown by a comparison of Figs. 5 and 6 the two plates move from a lower position in which they'are in linewlth the feed plate 2|" to an upper position in which they are in line with the floor of a folding channel to be described later. The drives for the two rods are identical except; for the shapes of the driving cams, and only that for rod 31 has been illustrated in the drawings. A lever 4| is pivoted at 42 to the frame, and

has a pin and slot connection 43 with the rod 31. At the other end the lever carries a cam roll 44 hearing against a. cam 45 on a shaft 46 connected to the shaft 28 by bevel gears 41. The rod 38 is similarly driven from acam 48 on the same shaft.

A guide plate 50, against which the articles a are delivered by the pushers 24, is supported upon brackets held to the frame 20 by a screw and slot connection 52 so that it may be adjusted toward and away from the pushers 24 in accordance with the size of the articles to be wrapped. The screws may be inserted intoany one of selected tapped holes 53 in the frame to increase the range of adjustment. A guide .54 is mounted on posts 55 in position to guide the rear-side of the article during its elevation, preferably by a pin and slot connection 56.to permit of replacement when packages of different heights are used. The wrapper sheet '20 is delivered across the guides'50 and 54 by any suitable means not necessary to describe.

As the article is moved upwardly by the elevators 39 and 40, traveling together, it carries the wrapper between a fixed folder 60 and a folder 6| formed on the end of the floor member 62 of a folding channel which is either removable or adjustable in order to be adaptable for articles of different sizes. In its further ascent the article passes a pivoted flipper 63 on the floor member 62, and comes alongside a guide plate 65 spring held as at 66 on a cross piece 67, and underneath a top plate 68 which extends over the elevator well from the folding channel.

The rear side of the wrapper is folded under the article by a bottom folder having a definite stroke and timing irrespective of the size of article being wrapped. The folder has lugs 1| running in slots I2 formed as guideways in opposed members 13. To opposite sides of the folder are pivoted links 14 coupled to levers l5 fixed upon a sleeve 16 located for free rotation upon a shaft 11 mounted in bearings 18 in the frame. One of the levers has an arm 19 bearinga cam roll resting upon the surface of a cam 8| on shaft A pusher frame 82 also has lugs 83 running in slots 83' formed in members I3 parallel to slots 12. Links 84, pivoted to opposite sides of the frame, are coupled to levers 85 fixed to the shaft 11. One of the links 84 bears an arm 86 pivoted to a connecting rod 81 carried by a crank 88 on the shaft 28. The frame 82 has removable bars 96 secured to it which carry pushers 9| to engage the rear face of the article adjacent its corners and also tucking plates 92.

The cycle of operations performed by the mechanism described will now be considered with particular reference to Figs. 5 to 10. The article a. is delivered by a pusher 24 onto the elevators 38 and 40 while these are in their lowermost position. It is generally desirable to have the elevators start their upward movement before the article is completely seated, so that the pusher 24 wipes past the lower edge of the article just as the latter comesagainst the plate 58 as shown in Fig. 5. The elevators then simultaneously ascend as in Fig. 6, raising the article to the level of the folding channel and picking up the wrapper on the way. As soon as the article reaches the position of Fig. 6, the bottom folder 16 moves under the rear corner of the article and the elevator 39 drops as in Fig. 7. The rear bottom folder 10 moves only as far as the elevator 40 and has its forward edge interfiitted as at 95 (Fig. 12) with the adjacent adge of the elevator 40.

At about the same time the pusher 9| and the tuckers 92 advance, tucking in the rear side flaps of the wrapper and advancing the article over onto the bottom plate 62 of the folding channel. During this advance of the article the rear bottom flap, which in all cases is less in width than the initial distance from the rear edge of the article to the rear edge of the elevator 40, is pushed edge on over the elevator 40, and the forward bottom fiap is folded over it as the article passes onto the plate 62. As soon as the article has completely passed onto the plate 62 the elevator 40 descends.

It should be noted that the pusher 9| moves the article a distance onto plate 62 which is a constant distance from the back plate 65 irrespective of the size of the article being wrapped, as shown by a comparison of Fig. 9 with the dotted line position of the pusher in Fig. 10. The latter figure shows the elevator 40 as having been replaced by a wider elevator 40' in order to accommodate a wider article, the plate 62 being also replaced by a plate 62 which has its free end spaced further from the back plate 65 to accommodate the wider elevator. Assuming the width only of the article to be varied the pusher 9|, the tuckers 92, and the rear folder 10 are changed neither in form nor timing. Even if the height is also changed, the folder I0 is not affected, the tuckers 92 being changed if desired to the proper height, and the various folding elements in the channel being replaced for the same reason. None of these changes, however, aflect in any way the timing of any of the moving parts.

If it is not desired to replace the folding channel when making adjustments a fixed plate I00 can be substituted for the removable plate 62, this plate having fingers lfll interfitting with fingers I02 on a movable bottom plate 13. This plate is secured to side members I 04 held in adjusted position as by a bolt and slot connection I05 with cross bars I06 attached to the frame. By this means the position of the leading edge of the plate I03 can be varied as desired while preserving a substantially uninterrupted surface for the articles to pass over.

We claim:

1. A wrapping machine having a folding channel, a pair of elevators movable from an article receiving position to a position in line with the fioor of the channel to carry an article against a wrapper sheet and to position it for movement along the channel, a rear bottom folder, it plunger movable to carry the article along the channel, means for moving the rear bottom folder across the path of the adjacent elevator up to the remote elevator while the article is supported thereby, and means for moving the remote elevator upwardly in synchronism with the adjacent elevator and maintaining it in alignment with the channel until the article has been moved across it and into the channel by the plunger.

2. A wrapping machine having a folding chan-, nel, a pair of elevators movable from an article receiving position to a position in line with the floor of the channel to carry an article against a wrapper sheet and to position it for movement along the channel, a rear bottom folder, a plunger movable to carry the article along the channel, means for moving the rear bottom folder across the path of the adjacent elevator up to the remote elevator while the article is supported thereby, and means for moving the remote elevator upwardly in synchronism with the adjacent elevator and maintaining it in alignment with the channel until the article has been moved across it and into the channel by the plunger, the rear bottom folder and the remote elevator having interfitting portions presenting a substantially uninterrupted surface over which the folded-under rear bottom fold may travel edge on.

3. A wrapping machine having a folding channel, a pair of elevators movable from an article receiving position to a position in line with the floor of the channel to carry an article against a wrapper sheet and to position it for movement along the channel, a rear bottom folder having fixed stroke and timing, movable over the adjacent elevator into adjacency with the remote elevator, said remote elevator having fixed timing but a top of variable width, means whereby the position of the end of the floor of the folding channel may be varied, and means for forwarding an article across said elevators and to a constant position in said folding channel irrespective of the position of the end of the floor thereof.

4. A wrapping machine having a folding channel,- a pair of elevators movable from an article receiving position to a position in line with the floor of the channel to carry an article against a wrapper sheet and to position it for movement along the channel, a rear bottom folder having fixed stroke and timing, movable over the adjacent elevator into adjacency with'the remote elevator, said remoteelevator having fixed timing but a top of variable width, means whereby the position of the end of the floor of the folding channel may be varied, means for forwarding an article across said elevators and to a constant position in said folding channel irrespective of the position of the end of the floor thereof, means for moving the remote elevator upward- 1y imsynchronism with the adjacent elevator and maintaining it in alignment with thechannel until the article has been moved across it and into the channel, and means for moving the adjacent elevator upwardly in synchronism with the remote elevator and then downwardly to permit the rear bottom folder to move across it.

ELMER L. SMITH. CARLTON WETSEL. 

